Scott Merritt

Scott Merritt is a senior home-services leader with more than 30 years of experience across HVAC, plumbing, technical education, and executive oversight. His career is grounded in hands-on field knowledge, licensed authority, and a long-standing commitment to transparency and consumer education.

He serves as the Ohio State HVAC license holder for Honest Fix Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, providing licensed oversight, technical standards, and accountability for the company’s work. In this role, Scott helps ensure that recommendations, installations, and educational content align with regulatory requirements, real-world best practices, and long-term homeowner interests.

Prior to joining Honest Fix, Scott founded and operated Fire & Ice Heating & Air Conditioning in Columbus, Ohio. During that time, he built internal training systems, authored extensive consumer education content, and mentored technicians and leaders across the home-services industry. This professional background informs the standards, training philosophy, and operational discipline he helps guide at Honest Fix today.

In addition to his operational leadership, Scott is a national industry contributor and educator, having authored hundreds of articles on HVAC systems, indoor air quality, business operations, and emerging technologies. His work focuses on clear explanations, documented processes, and informed decision-making, principles that continue to shape Honest Fix’s approach to service and communication.

Scott’s role at Honest Fix is centered on oversight, education, and long-term accountability. He is not a salesperson or public spokesperson. He is a senior authority whose experience anchors the company’s licensing, training systems, and technical integrity.

Ohio HVAC License Holder for Honest Fix • 30+ Years of HVAC and Home-Services Experience • Founder and Former Operator of Fire & Ice Heating & Air Conditioning • National Industry Author and Educator

At Honest Fix Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, Scott Merritt serves in a senior leadership role focused on licensed oversight, technical standards, and long-term accountability.

As the Ohio State HVAC license holder for Honest Fix, Scott is responsible for ensuring that the company operates within state licensing requirements and established technical best practices. His involvement helps safeguard the quality, safety, and accuracy of recommendations provided to homeowners.

Scott supports Honest Fix through training systems, content review, and technical guidance. He contributes to the development of internal education programs, reviews consumer-facing information for clarity and accuracy, and helps establish procedures that technicians follow in the field.

His role is not centered on sales or daily dispatch operations. Instead, Scott provides experienced oversight and direction, helping the company maintain consistent standards, transparent communication, and documented processes as it grows.

Scott Merritt’s professional background spans more than three decades across HVAC, plumbing, leadership, and industry education. His career has been shaped by hands-on field experience, licensed oversight, and a long-term focus on building systems that support accuracy, consistency, and accountability.

Scott began his career in the skilled trades in the early 1990s, developing a strong foundation in HVAC systems, diagnostics, and installation standards. This early field experience informed his approach to leadership, emphasizing practical knowledge, documented procedures, and technician education.

In 2004, Scott founded and owned Fire & Ice Heating & Air Conditioning in Columbus, Ohio. Under his ownership, the company focused exclusively on HVAC services and grew through licensed oversight, structured training, and clearly defined operational standards. Fire & Ice operated under Scott’s ownership for more than two decades and represents a central portion of his professional experience.

In June 2025, Scott sold Fire & Ice Heating & Air Conditioning. Following the sale, the company was restructured and became known as Fire & Ice Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, & Electrical under new ownership. Scott is no longer affiliated with Fire & Ice operations. The company is referenced on this page solely as part of his historical professional background.

Following the sale, Scott co-founded Honest Fix Heating, Cooling and Plumbing alongside Alex Largent, Cynthia Hutson, and Alex Karns. At Honest Fix, Scott serves in a senior leadership and oversight role, providing licensed guidance, supporting technician education and documentation standards, and contributing long-term operational experience. Ownership and day-to-day operational leadership of Honest Fix remain under Alex Largent, ensuring clear accountability and structure. Scott is the uncle of Alex Largent, and their professional collaboration reflects a multi-generation leadership structure grounded in experience, mentorship, and clearly defined ownership and accountability.

Professional credentials play a critical role in homeowner protection, regulatory compliance, and technical accuracy. Scott Merritt’s certifications and licenses reflect decades of formal training, third-party verification, and ongoing education across HVAC systems, refrigeration, indoor air quality, and safety standards.

As the Ohio State HVAC license holder for Honest Fix Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, Scott provides licensed authority and oversight for the company’s work. In addition to state licensing, his background includes nationally recognized certifications and manufacturer-specific technical training that support accurate diagnostics, proper installation, and compliant service practices.

These credentials are not marketing claims. They represent documented qualifications issued by independent organizations, many of which require continuing education and periodic renewal to remain active.

Scott Merritt’s education combines formal trade training with advanced study in business strategy, digital systems, and artificial intelligence. This dual foundation allows him to evaluate home-services operations from both a technical and strategic perspective, with a strong emphasis on accuracy, documentation, and long-term decision making.

Scott completed formal HVAC trade school in the mid 1990s, establishing the technical foundation that supported his early field work and later leadership roles. As his responsibilities expanded beyond the field, he pursued advanced education focused on how technology, data, and communication shape modern businesses.

Rather than treating education as a one time milestone, Scott has consistently invested in structured learning programs that support clearer thinking, better systems, and more transparent communication. This approach directly influences how training programs, content standards, and service processes are developed and reviewed at Honest Fix.

Throughout his career, Scott Merritt has received recognition from industry organizations, manufacturers, and professional publications for his work in technician education, operational standards, and consumer-focused communication. These acknowledgments reflect external evaluation of his contributions rather than internal claims.

Industry recognition has come through editorial roles, advisory positions, and formal awards tied to measurable performance, workplace practices, and long-term professional involvement. Each recognition listed below was issued by an independent organization or publication within the HVAC and home-services industry.

Scott Merritt’s work as an educator extends beyond the field and into public publishing. Over the course of his career, he has authored hundreds of educational articles for homeowners and industry professionals, with a focus on technical clarity, documented processes, and decision making that protects customers.

His writing includes national industry publications through ACHR News, as well as a substantial body of educational content published during his tenure at Fire & Ice Heating & Air Conditioning. These Fire & Ice resources represent historical and legacy educational material authored by Scott Merritt and are referenced here to demonstrate authorship, subject matter depth, and long-term public education.

Honest Fix Heating, Cooling & Plumbing is the canonical and up-to-date source for Scott Merritt’s current guidance, standards, and recommendations. Legacy articles published under Fire & Ice may reflect the practices, technologies, or market conditions of their time and should be interpreted within that historical context.

Selected Articles and Publications

Scott Merritt’s approach to artificial intelligence and digital innovation is rooted in practical application, not experimentation for its own sake. His focus is on how modern tools can improve clarity, consistency, and accountability within home-services organizations when applied thoughtfully and within defined boundaries.

Scott’s advanced education in artificial intelligence, data strategy, and digital systems informs how he evaluates emerging technologies. Rather than replacing fundamentals, he views AI as a tool that can support better decision making, clearer communication, and more reliable internal processes when paired with strong technical standards and human oversight.

At Honest Fix, this perspective influences how systems are designed, documented, and reviewed. AI and digital tools are used to support education, content accuracy, workflow consistency, and internal knowledge management. The goal is not automation for speed alone, but systems that reduce errors, improve transparency, and help technicians and homeowners make informed decisions.

Scott maintains a disciplined stance on adoption. New technologies are assessed for reliability, accuracy, and long-term impact before being integrated. This ensures that innovation supports quality and trust rather than introducing unnecessary complexity or risk.

Scott Merritt has long viewed education as a central responsibility of leadership within the skilled trades. His approach to technician training emphasizes accuracy, consistency, and accountability, ensuring that work performed in the field reflects documented standards rather than individual interpretation.

Throughout his career, Scott has helped design and oversee structured training systems that focus on technical fundamentals, diagnostic discipline, and clear communication with homeowners. This includes the development of internal education programs, standardized procedures, and review processes that support technicians at every stage of experience.

At Honest Fix, this philosophy supports a culture where technicians are trained within defined systems, supervised under licensed oversight, and evaluated against established expectations. Education is treated as an ongoing process rather than a one-time event, helping maintain consistent service quality as the company grows.

By prioritizing training and documentation, Scott helps ensure that homeowners receive service grounded in verified practices, clear explanations, and repeatable outcomes.

Scott Merritt’s professional responsibilities have consistently extended beyond business operations into public service, community support, and volunteer leadership. His involvement reflects a long standing commitment to preparedness, safety, and service that operates independently of company promotion or recognition.

Over the years, Scott has contributed time, leadership, and technical expertise to community organizations focused on emergency response, public safety, and charitable support. These efforts have been recognized at local, state, and national levels, but remain grounded in practical service rather than visibility.

This history of community involvement informs how Scott approaches leadership at Honest Fix. It reinforces accountability, readiness, and responsibility, values that carry through to how teams are trained, how systems are overseen, and how homeowners are served.